Cleated footwear

Abstract

A cleat plate for cleated footwear comprising a rigid forefoot plate, a rigid heel plate, and a flexible bridge element connecting the rigid forefoot plate and the rigid heel plate. The rigid forefoot plate includes a concave depression extending downward from the top of the rigid forefoot plate and configured to lie directly under the first metatarsal head of the wearer, wherein the depression extends as a convex surface below the bottom of the rigid forefoot plate and has plurality of cleats extending therefrom.

1 . A cleat plate for cleated footwear comprising
 a rigid forefoot plate,   a rigid heel plate, and   a flexible bridge element connecting the rigid forefoot plate and the rigid heel plate.   
     
     
         2 . The cleat plate of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid forefoot plate includes a concave depression extending downward from the top of the rigid forefoot plate and configured to lie directly under the first metatarsal head of the wearer, wherein the depression extends as a convex surface below the bottom of the rigid forefoot plate and has plurality of cleats extending therefrom. 
     
     
         3 . The cleat plate of  claim 2 , wherein the depression includes a central cleat and a plurality of additional cleats radially arranged along edges of the convex surface of the depression. 
     
     
         4 . The cleat plate of  claim 3 , wherein the rigid forefoot cleats include a further plurality of cleats located essentially on a radius extending from the toe end of the rigid forefoot plate along an outer lateral bottom side of the rigid forefoot plate. 
     
     
         5 . The cleat plate of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid rear heel plate includes a concave heel depression configured to underlie and match the underside of the wearer's calcaneus bone, wherein the heel depression extends as a convex surface below the bottom of the rigid heel plate and has a plurality of cleats extending therefrom. 
     
     
         6 . The cleat plate of  claim 5 , wherein the depression includes a central cleat and a plurality of additional cleats radially arranged along edges of the convex surface of the heel depression. 
     
     
         7 . The cleat plate of  claim 6 , further comprising a further plurality of cleats provided in a pattern essentially on a radius extending from the central cleat along an outer edge of the rigid heel plate. 
     
     
         8 . The cleat plate of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible bridge element is adjusted to accommodate the wearer's ball of foot length. 
     
     
         9 . A cleated shoe comprising a cleat plate as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . The cleated shoe as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the cleat plates are left and right shoe specific mirror images of one another. 
     
     
         11 . The cleated shoe as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the shoe is selected from the group consisting of a soccer shoe, a football boot, a baseball shoe, and a track shoe. 
     
     
         12 . The cleated shoe as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the flexible bridge element is adjustable to accommodate the wearer's ball of foot length. 
     
     
         13 . A pair of cleated shoes as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the cleat plates have a central cleat configured to lie directly under the first metatarsal head of the wearer, and all additional cleats are radially arranged around the central cleat of each shoe. 
     
     
         14 . A pair of cleated shoes as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the cleat plates have a central cleat configured to lie directly underlie the calcaneus bone of the wearer, and all additional cleats are radially arranged around the central cleat of each shoe. 
     
     
         15 . A pair of cleated shoes as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the cleat plates are different for left and right shoes. 
     
     
         16 . A pair of cleated shoes as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein one of the left or the right shoe has a central cleat configured to lie directly under the first metatarsal head of the wearer, and all additional cleats on that one shoe are radially arranged around the central cleat of that one shoe, and the other of the left or the right shoe has a central cleat configured to lie directly underlie the calcaneus bone of the wearer, and all additional cleats on that one shoe are radially arranged around the central cleat of that one left shoe. 
     
     
         17 . The pair of cleated shoes as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the shoes are selected from the group consisting of golf shoes, shot put shoes, discus shoes and javelin shoes.